WEBVTT >> SOME OF THE STUFF WE GOT,THIS IS ACTUALLY NEW.JENNIFER: 12 YEARS AGO, CODYDUET HAD A DECISION TO MAKE --GO TO COLLEGE OR GO TO WOR>> EVERYBODY HAS SEEN THIS.JENNIFER: TOPS TIPPED THE SCALESFOR HIM TO STAY IN SCHOOL.>> MOST OF MY FRIENDS WENTSTRAIGHT INTO OIL AND GAS.IT WAS 2005, SO THEY ALL WENTINTO BLUE COLLAR JOBS.JENNIFER: DUET GRADUATED WITH ABACHELOR'S DEGREE PAID FOR BYTHE STATE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.HE NOW OWNS TWO NEW ORLEANSCLOTHING SHOPS.BUSINESS IS GOOD.BUT HE SAYS HIS FRIENDS WITHTHOSE BLUE COLLAR JOBS HAVEN'TBEEN SO LUCKY.>> THEY'RE DISAPPEARING.THEY'RE DISAPPEARINJENNIFER: TOPS CANT AFFORD TOPAY FOR ALL OF THE STUDENTS INLOUISIANA WHO MEET THE CRITERIAFOR THE PROGRAM, AT A TIME WHENMOST CAREERS REQUIRE SOME SORTOF TRAINING OR EDUCATION PASTHIGH SCHOOL.>> TWO YEARS AGO, AMAZON USED45,000 ROBOTS.THAT WAS A 300% INCREASE OVERFOUR YEARS AGOFIRMS ARE NOW EMBRACING DRONEDELIVERY, SELF-DRIVING TRUCKS.THAT'S GOING TO KNOCK OUT UPSDRIVERS, AMONG OTHERS.JENNIFER: ANOTHER ISSUNCOVERED, 40% OF CURRENT TOPSREWARDS ARE GOING TO LOUISIANA'SHIGHEST EARNING FAMILIES.>> WE MUST EXPAND EDUCATIONALOPPORTUNITIES AND NOT SAY WHATWE HAVE IS GOOD ENOUGH.OUR WORK MUST CONTINUE.JENNIFER: THE TOPS TASK FORCECOULD NOT IDENTIFY THE MONEY ORTHE SAVINGS TO MAKE GOOD ON $300MILLION WORTH OF PROMISES, WITHJUST $30 MILLION IN THE BANK FORTOPS.DUET SAYS THAT'S A PROBLEM, WHENEDUCATION AND THE ECONOMY ARETIED SO CLOSELY TOGETHER>> IF THERE ARE NO JOBS HERE, IFTHERE'S NO OPPORTUNITY, IFTHERE'S NO ECONOMY, I DON'TSUCCEED EITHER.LIKE, THEY'RE ALL HAND IN HAND.

2018 is the year Louisiana lawmakers have been dreading. The threat of the fiscal cliff is set to become a reality. To try to bridge the budget gap, Gov. John Bel Edwards included $1 billion worth of state cuts in his proposed spending plan released in January.

TOPS lost big in the 2018 budget proposal, with a $270 million gutting. The program had been a $300 million investment in the state's best and brightest. The 2018 spending plan funds about $30 million.

Advertisement

A bipartisan group of lawmakers was created to save the popular scholarship program ahead of the 2018 regular legislative session. The TOPS Task Force has met a dozen times since September, but when it came time to vote Wednesday on their sustainability plan, the committee chairman, Senator Dan W. "Blade" Morrish, R- Jennings, said instead the group would adopt all nine proposals its members brought to the table and let the legislature decide which would be best for the state and its students.

The task force also identified additional problems TOPS is facing on top of the current funding crisis.

Michael Dannenberg with Education Reform NOW told task force members Wednesday that 40 percent of TOPS rewards are paid out to students whose families earn the top 20 percent of incomes in the state. He said TOPS needs to address the "opportunity" portion of the equation, similar to scholarship programs in other states.

"Nationally, 75 percent of all state student financial aid programs are distributed on the basis of need and need alone - family economic need," Dannenberg said. "Louisiana reflects the other extreme. Over 90 percent of state student financial aid is distributed on the basis of test scores."

One proposal does adjust funding based on a family’s income and a student’s achievement, giving the most TOPS rewards to students with the highest test scores or those whose families earn less than $60,000 a year. But none of the proposals identify a source of new funding that would keep TOPS going at its current enrollment and reward structure. There is also no proposal to change the ACT or GPA requirements for TOPS scholarships.

The ideas and their sponsors include:

· Sen. Morrish’s proposal, which allows most TOPS requirements to remain in place, but changes the reward amounts.

· Sen. Mack A. "Bodi" White, Jr., R-Baton Rouge, who wants to allow students to earn TOPS through a community college program, in addition to the current TOPS eligibility

· Rep. Gary M. Carter, Jr., D-New Orleans, who proposed that when there is insufficient funding, rewards would change to a graduated program, with TOPS dispersed on a sliding scale.

· Rep. Ted James, D-Baton Rouge, who proposed that when TOPS is not fully funded, to eliminate or reduce the stipends paid in excess of tuition grants.

· Sen. Wesley T. Bishop, D-New Orleans, who proposed to extending TOPS to students enrolled at four-year universities who meet specific requirements while in college.

· Carter also proposed that if the minimum GPA required to receive TOPS is raised, then the ACT must be reduced. Sen. Morrish noted that there is no proposal by the task force to raise the ACT requirement, but that idea has been raised by legislators before.

· Rep James also proposed to eliminate TOPS stipends and funnel that savings into the Go Grant program.

· Rep. Nancy Landry, R-Lafayette, who proposed that any changes to the TOPS academic requirements would not be instituted for four years, to allow current high school students time to meet those requirements.

The TOPS Task Force is due to submit a report on the proposals to the legislature Feb 15, but Morrish said Wednesday that they would likely need more time to complete that report.

The 2018 Regular Legislative Session convenes at noon March 12 and adjournment no later than 6pm June 4.